Round 5 Feature Match: Rite Back At You!

Josh BennettFriday, May 11, 2012

Australia's Jeremy Neeman is perhaps best known as Luis Scott-Vargas's professional nemesis. The two have met seven times at top-level play, and Neeman has won five of them. Despite winning a pair of Grand Prix events, Neeman is still looking for that one big finish to put an exclamation point on his resume. That's making this weekend doubly important. Even if he he doesn't Top 8 this weekend, a strong performance would lock up the APAC slot at the Players Championship for him this summer.

This round he face off against Pat Cox, who was a relative unknown until his Top 8 at Pro Tour Nagoya last year. For pros in the know, this came as no surprise. Cox has quietly built a reputation as a master in the making. This weekend he's playing a reanimator deck designed by Pro Tour Champion David Sharfman, ingeniously named "Raisin' 'Brand".

While Pat Cox is piloting a deck with a sweet name, Jeremy Neeman is hoping to lock up his invitation to the Players Championship.

Game 1

Neeman didn't take long to send his first hand back. He kept his six, and they were off.

Gisela, Blade of Goldnight entered the battlefield. Neeman fetched up a forest, then untapped and made a Huntmaster. Gisela paid him a quick visit to the tune of ten damage. Another draw and Neeman was packing up his cards.

Pat Cox 1, Jeremy Neeman 0

Game 2

Neeman laughed and shook his head. "Yeah, that was a pretty good draw. Try not to do that again."

Cox drew and considered things. He eventually settled on Restoration Angel, freeing his Huntmaster, getting him another wolf, and putting a huge blocker in the air. Meanwhile, Fettergeist was taxing Neeman's already-constrained mana. He tapped two for Desperate Ravings, losing a land and playing another one, then passed the turn.

Cox sent his wolves and angel in. Neeman's fliers blocked wolves, and a post-combat Bonfire of the Damned for two left Neeman at 10 and with no board. He untapped and played Tamiyo, freezing the Angel. The rest of Cox's squad killed Tamiyo and he passed the turn to flip his Huntmaster. Neeman was down to just 8.

He untapped and played Desperate Ravings into Hinterland Harbor and a Huntmaster of his own, clawing his way back to 10. Cox's Huntmaster flipped back, and he attacked with his Angel and a wolf token. The wolves traded, and then came a post-combat Sigarda, Host of Herons. Neeman looked at one more card, then conceded.